Simul justus et peccator...at the same time saint and sinner.
In a letter to his friend Philip Melanchthon on August 1, 1521, Luther wrote: "Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly...Pray boldly--you too are a mighty sinner."

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April 18, 2010

Blinded by Sin

Easter 3, 2010

Acts 9:1-20

“Blinded by Sin”

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saul was a Jew’s Jew or as the NIV translation puts it… “a Hebrew of Hebrews.” (Philippians 3:5) Saul was circumcised on the 8th day just like the law prescribed. He was of the tribe of Benjamin; the tribe that King Saul was born into and the land where Jerusalem was located. Paul was a highly regarded Pharisee that became famous for persecuting Christians. He studied under the most learned of Rabbi’s: Rabbi Gamaliel Paul would say of himself that as far as “legalistic righteousness, (he was) faultless.” (Philippians 3:6) Paul was as close to a perfect Jew as you could get; he even thought he was doing God’s will persecuting Christians. Paul’s goal was to rid the world of all who followed Jesus…until something amazing occurred.

“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:1-4)

Up until now Saul had nothing but hatred and contempt for Jesus and His followers. Sin and unbelief had blinded Saul as to whom Jesus was; the Son of God; the Messiah; the Savior of the world. Now Jesus appears to Saul in all His glory and shone like the sun. Jesus proclaimed to Saul: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:5-6)

One could hardly imagine what Saul was going through. Not only did the person, Jesus, turn out to be God…but Saul had hated and despised him….persecuted him and his church…and now Saul could only rely on Jesus for his needs; to heal him from his blindness. In order to heal Saul’s spiritual blindness our Lord used physical blindness.

We know from Paul’s own words how spiritually blind he was. He confesses to vigorously persecuting the Church. Paul may have never killed a believer…but certainly many whom he arrested were killed for their faith. Now Paul had to rely solely on Jesus’ promise…and be led to the house of a man he was on the way to arrest; Ananias.

How often God uses ailments, disasters, struggles, and hardship to bring us out of our own blindness of sin and unbelief to His glory through faith. We, like Paul, have been spiritually blind…maybe not as adults…but certainly blind at our birth. We too rejected Christ. We too wallowed in our own sinfulness. Sadly enough we still revert to our sinful ways…sins that cause others to doubt and stray…sins that cause us to doubt in Christ ourselves…sins that blind us from God’s love.

As Christians we are also like Ananias. Ananias knew who Saul was…knew that he was coming to Damascus to arrest Christians. Ananias wanted nothing to do with this man. We could imagine that when Ananias first heard that Saul was coming he prayed to God for guidance; prayed that God’s people would be spared from Saul; prayed for the Church to prosper. What we could hardly imagine…is Ananias praying for Saul. Praying that his enemy would be brought to repentance and faith. We too are like Ananias. We pray for our loved ones, our Church, our friends, and ourselves…but do we pray for those that sin against us? Do we pray for those whom we don’t like? Do we pray for those that would do us harm? It is sad that we don’t! It is sad that we don’t pray for all people to repent and come to faith. It is sad that we don’t pray for friends and family that betray us.

But through all the sinfulness of this world; the sin of unbelievers and the sin of believers…God works for the good of His people. “But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.”(Acts 9:15-19)

Through Baptism, the very Water and the Word, Saul received faith in Christ as his Lord and Savior. Through Baptism we too have been given sight through faith. It is after eating and drinking our Lord’s body and blood that we regain strength for each day as we are forgiven our sins. Like Saul we are sinners that God has chosen to be His children…and His tools.

Saul, the Pharisee that once rejected Jesus and persecuted His church became Saint Paul, a father in the faith of whom we sing of today “if you cannot preach like Paul you can tell the love of Jesus, you can say He died for all.” Do not think of yourself as being unworthy…unworthy to share Jesus…unworthy to be called God’s child. Your worth is beyond imagination. Your worth is so much to God the Father that He gave up His only Son to die for you.

It was by faith that Paul became the strong Christian he was that proclaimed Christ Jesus to the world. It is by faith that you are a strong Christian…and it is by faith that you may share the love of Jesus to all around you. As the scales of blindness have been removed by the waters of Baptism…as you now see the wonders of Christ in your life…as you receive strength for each day through Jesus body and blood…remember whose you are. You are God’s beloved Child. All of your sins have been forgiven. All of them have been forgiven! Share the love of Jesus…share the promise of heaven itself…that all may share in heaven with you. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.